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Kolot Rosion
Kolot Terik Rosion (39 BBY) is a senior ranking High Admiral of the Imperial Navy. Having earned a great deal of prestige and admiration over the course of a career spanning almost 40 years in service to the Empire, he is held in high regard by politicians and common soldiers alike. Rosion is a veteran of the Clones Wars, and a highly decorated officer possessing a keen intellect and sharp wit that have seen him rise to the height of influence within the Imperial hierarchy, subordinate only to High Admiral Pallaeon and Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. He is highly regarded as one of the best tacticians in the Imperial Navy and has been consistently admired for his loyalty to the philosophy of the Imperial creed, and his tenacity in its defense. Rosion is a firm believer in the righteousness of the Imperial cause as a bulwark of galactic stability and order, and his view that the New Republic an illegal entity established in defiance of the Empire as the legitimate galactic government. Already a well known figure within the Imperial Military establishment by the time of the Battle of Endor, Rosion has dedicated himself to ensuring that the Empire retain its military prowess through a series of innovative reforms which have carried their weight many times over in numerous conflicts and campaigns involving enemies from the New Republic to the Xen'Chi. For most of his career Rosion has managed to keep a clear distance away from the onslaught of political infighting and court intrigue that plagued the Empire in the aftermath of Emperor Palpatine's death, advocating that military leaders should devote themselves to the Empire's defense instead of carving out fiefdoms as warlords. It is a factor which when combined with his competence, devotion, and political objectivity that has been consistently recognized by several Imperial leaders who have risen to power at the Imperial government beginning with James Ardin and on through the reign of Emperor Damascus. Throughout those periods Rosion was given lucrative appointments one of the earliest heads of the ISS during the Ardin era, as well as the combatant commander for the Imperial 6th Expeditionary Fleet. Acting decisively in both roles, he quickly molded the ISS into a widely feared Counter-Intelligence organ of Imperial state security with a feared reputation for ruthless efficiency. While the 6th Expeditionary Fleet was often found fighting on the frontlines of the Galactic Civil War's most bloody naval engagements. =History= Youth & Early Life Kolot Rosion was born to a middle class family on Corulag with a long history of military service. His father was a patrol corvette commander in the Republic Judicial Forces and veteran of the Stark Hyperspace War. As early as age four he often found himself assisting his mother in the day-to-day operations of the family's Import-Export business, learning a variety of alien languages from Huttese to Bocce, and was pre-selected for magnate schools that would groom his abilities for the future. Tragedy struck the family in 32 BBY as Rosion's father was killed in action when his ship was ambushed and crippled while on long range patrol on the Outer Rim in the series of brushfire conflicts that marked the beginning of the Separatist Crisis. The loss of her husband hardened Rosion's mother into a staunch Republic loyalist, which saw her re-marry a Corellian General who shared the same views. The death of his father also served to strip Rosion's mind of its naivete and awoke him to the dangers the wider galaxy posed not only to himself but also to galactic civilization, and transformed the young boy into a dutiful and upstanding individual wise beyond his years. The Crucible of the Clone Wars With the onset of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY Rosion was amongst the first volunteers from Corulag to enlist in the newly re-formed Republic Navy, and graduated a year later with honors at age 17 from the Corulag Naval Academy as one of the top ranking cadets in his class. While he was there, military values like the necessity for strict discipline, command responsibility, and unit cohesion were harshly impressed upon Rosion, and upon receiving his commission as an Ensign he joined the Republic fleet with a finely tuned enthusiasm to serve as best as he could. The exposure he had from his upbringing provided him with an edge over many of his peers, and led to a series of rapid war time promotions as Rosion distinguished himself at the height of Republic defeats in the war during the Confederate Operation Durge's Lance. Nevertheless Rosion managed to prove himself in grueling and bloody engagements such as those at Jabiim, Parcellus Minor, and Sullust. Holding the rank of full Lieutenant by the war's end Rosion had twice been given citations for bravery at the Battles of Anaxes and Rendili as a gunnery commander, and was awarded both classes of the Corellian Bloodstripe for his service during the Foerost Campaign and Outer Rim Sieges. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment in the war came about shortly before it's end at the Battle of Coruscant. Rosion had been serving as the assistant tactical officer on the Star Destroyer Dauntless when a concentrated barrage of heavy battery turbolaser fire destroyed the ship's bridge and left it barely operational. Ignoring the personal injuries he'd sustained Rosion assumed command of the vessel from the auxiliary command center and would've been well within his rights to order the crew to abandon ship. But instead was credited with quick thinking that helped save the ship when he and the support crew managed to reroute power from the engines and directed counter-battery fire that destroyed a Seperatist battleship and it's escorts, opening a gap in the Confederate lines that Republic reinforcements were able to exploit while the Dauntless withdrew. Rise of the New Order With the fall of the Jedi Order and the Declaration of the New Order Rosion found himself at a crossroads in his life. He returned to Corulag to find a planet that was torn between staunch loyalists of the Old Republic and those who wholeheartedly supported the new Galactic Empire and believed Palpatine's account of a Jedi attempt to seize control in a coup. For his part Rosion was undecided on the debate, while his mother and stepfather backed the latter faction. This hesitation to align himself with either side was firmly shaken out it's complacency when a fanatical group of Rebel sympathizers launched a terror attack at a Corulag victory parade. They detonated a series of bombs at the event in timed explosions designed to maximize casualties, one of them located under the reviewing stand that Rosion and his parents were seated in, before opening up on the crowd of spectators with heavy repeating blaster cannons which killed over a thousand innocent people before authorities could respond. The event traumatized Rosion to his core, and expelled any notions of remorse he would ever have in seeing that the nascent forces of the early Rebellion were put down as traitors and insurgents. Choosing to remain in the newly formed Imperial Navy as a career officer, Rosion was offered his pick of any prospective assignments across the galaxy. He opted for a billet as chief gunnery captain on the Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruiser Warden. Which despite being a rather "dirty" assignment with less prestige than those on other ships, it nonetheless gave Rosion a great deal of firsthand experience over the years. Rosion was given command of the cruiser upon his promotion to the rank of Commander and took the Warden on her last tour of long range patrol before the ship was decommissioned. Rosion was then awarded the captaincy of the Victory-II Star Destroyer Contrition, and under his tutelage the ship and her crew were honed into a model unit within their squadron despite their relative isolation at the edge of the Empire's influence, serving on multiple tours throughout the Expansion Region and the Outer Rim Territories consolidating Imperial control and hunting pirate enclaves. It was during this time that Rosion's reputation for being able to "do more with less" first gained him real notoriety within the Imperial Admiralty. This new found reputation did not come without downsides however, and served to make Rosion the enemy and rival of a slew of officers and Moffs from the "new breed" of officials from the Empire's political class who were primarily awarded their positions via family connections and who were in largely part self serving, incompetent, or dismissive of the rising threat the Rebel resistance movements. As a result the Contrition found itself re-assigned to low level convoy escort duty along the Mid-Rim. Uncommon Valor Against the Rebellion Despite the setback in an otherwise meteoric career Rosion still had allies. Seeing the promise of a competent and successful Star Destroyer commander as a rising star in the naval service who's talents were being wasted, Rosion was introduced to then Major General Cassio Tagge during a chance encounter at a high command meeting on Eriadu. Tagge, a popular officer on the rise in the Imperial Army in his own right, was quite impressed with the caliber of skill presented in Rosion and likened their similarities to those of kindred spirits. He used his family connections within the Empire to sponsor Rosion's promotion to full Captain and subsequent re-assignment to command the Imperial Mk. I Star Destroyer Devastator. The Devastator was a participant in one of several naval task groups assembled by the Imperial Navy with the specific mission of tracking and stamping out Rebel groups in the Outer Rim Territories. Rosion excelled in this role over the years, and the appearance of the Devastator alone was often enough to quell dissension on many worlds that objected to Imperial rule. Earning an impressive battle record in the Icarii Campaign and the Erhynradd Mutiny the Devastator was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation four times by Oversector Outer command with Rosion as Captain, who was quickly promoted to Line Captain and given control of a small anti-Rebel taskforce. In time, the standards of excellence and battle experience that Rosion had set for the Devastator's crew would pay off when the ship was selected to serve as Lord Tion's personal flagship, and would later serve under Lord Vader's command after Tion's untimely demise in the Rebel plot to obtain the technical read outs of the first Death Star. Promoted to the rank of Commodore in 4 BBY Rosion served as the first commander of the newly completed Imperial-Mk. II Star Destroyer Stalker, which participated in the suppression of the Lortan Fanatics during the Reslian Purge, and also acted in concert with the Axxila Anti-Pirate Fleet during patrols along the border of the Ciutric Hegemony. It was during these turbulent years that first saw the rise of organized rebel activity along the outer rim and the establishment of the Rebel Alliance as a political union of dissedent factions. In parallel to these Rosion was beginning to get his first taste for real fleet command while on deployment in the Elrood Sector, leading an entire wing of Star Destroyers in multiple fleet engagements with rebel forces. Moving up the Ladder A year before the Battle of Yavin, Rosion's experience in fighting the rebels across Elrood had made him into a seasoned officer who was one of the few in the Imperial establishment who refused to underestimate them. His daily reports and advisements to High General Tagge and Grand Moff Tarkin proved to be highly informative, much to the chagrin of Admiral Motti, who was Tagge's largest rival. Even though Rosion disagreed with the philosophy behind the Tarkin Doctrine as it came to be called, believing that the rebel's could only be beaten by swaying the hearts and minds of galactic opinion, he viewed the consequent destruction of Alderaan and loss of the Death Star as a political nightmare. A view that was affirmed as the war expanded from the Outer Rim and transformed into a galaxy wide conflict that could no longer be ignored. Possessing one of the best Star Destroyer commanders and tacticians with combat experience still available in the Outer Rim, the Stalker was quickly transferred to Darth Vader's Death Squadron in the aftermath of Yavin, where it participated in the subsequent blockade of that system in addition to Vader's hunt for the Rebel Alliance's High Command. A year before the Battle of Hoth, Rosion took a new post at Azure Hammer Command where he was promoted to Rear Admiral and served as an advisor and strategist for Imperial Naval Operations. In his tenure there he contributed greatly to the plans that resulted in the Battle of Derra IV and successful Imperial Suppressions of Rebel encroachments into the Core Worlds. He also served as an instructor at the Imperial Naval War College on Anaxes, where he began to school the next generation of Imperial officers in the tactics and subtleties of what he coined as the Rebel "Way of War". Rosion's treatises on standard Imperial tactics and engagement patterns have since become required reading at all Imperial training academies, and have influenced hundreds of Imperial naval commanders with his instructions. Post Endor At the time of the Endor Campaign and the chaos and confusion in it's wake that nearly shattered the Empire into a splintered echo chamber of competing factions, Rosion had achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was leading an Imperial battlegroup on a deep space reconnaisance mission at the outskirts of Wild Space when word arrived of the Imperial defeat. Despite this Rosion stayed true to form and immediately re-deployed his fleet to the Moddell Sector where he launched hit and run attacks against recovering Rebel forces spread out across the region until receiving a recall order back Eriadu. As the political rivalry between Anasara Bansari and Esran Croft began to take center stage within the Empire's ranks as ambitious individuals moved to fill the power vacuum, Rosion was left disgusted and isolated. He passionately argued for Imperial unity during the time of crisis in the years after Endor but was consistently ignored. His supporters and subordinates within his small fleet even began to pressure him into establishing himself as an independent warlord akin to that of Admiral Sylkud Brainiard, which Rosion refused. Instead he chose to throw his lot behind a faction of old guard Imperial veterans led by another prominent Admiral: James Ardin. Ardin's assertion for unity and cohesion in fighting the New Republic, and not fellow Imperials, struck a chord with Rosion despite the fact that they weren't acquainted and had never met. Rosion's fleet answered Admiral Ardin's recall order of all available ships to Coruscant and pledged his loyalty to Ardin when he declared himself Regent. As the New Republic began to make inroads against the Empire in a series of rapid campaigns that seized the Inner Rim and Core Worlds, and took strategic advantage of two separate civil wars that had depleted the Empire of ships and resources Rosion repeatedly engaged his fleet in desperate holding actions where he was often outnumbered 3-1 against fresh Rebel units. When Coruscant itself fell a year later in 8 ABY and an armistice agreed to nearly all of Rosion's original fleet had been destroyed, with only a handful of ships and his flagship the Allegiance-class battlecruiser]] Emperor's Fist remaining. Tenure at the ISS Nonetheless, for his actions in acting as the rearguard of the Imperial retreat from the Core, Rosion was promoted to the rank of full Admiral by Ardin and appointed as the commander of the 6th Expeditionary Fleet. In conjunction with Ardin's shake up and reformation of the Imperial hierarchy Rosion was also installed as the Director-General of the Imperial Special Services organization. Esran Croft, Isard, and many other shady factions within the Empire still held great amount of sway within groups ranging from Imperial Intelligence and the ISB, and Ardin wanted an organization that could maintain Imperial state security while remaining uncompromised to any corrupting forces that weren't loyal to him. Rosion's time as Director of the ISS was very rewarding for him, and where lesser officers would have shrunk in such a task, Rosion exceeded even the roughest expectations when he was able to mold the ISS into a highly diligent and dangerous apparatus of espionage operatives, special mission units, assassins, and covert affairs specialists. At the organization's height there are many who agree that it rivaled or even surpassed the reach of Imperial Intelligence in its influence, all of which can be attributed to Rosion's actions in shaping it's foundation. Surviving the Gauntlet When he first joined the Navy and began to rise in it's ranks Rosion had repeatedly sworn not to get involved or corrupted by the pervasive game of politics and intrigue that he felt only worked to rot away at the Empire's core. But with success after success in both his military career, and his expanded role within Ardin's inner circle as Director of the ISS, Rosion found himself exactly where he didn't want to be. After Ardin's disappearance caused yet another power vacuum in the Empire's ranks Rosion again remained cautious and kept a low profile as ambitious men in the form of Admirals Ferval and Gandel took the Empire's reins and initiated another costly war against the New Republic to legitimize their positions. Rosion to his credit continued to do his duty, and led the 6th Fleet in a number of extensive engagements that distinguished the force as one of the premiere naval formations in the Imperial Navy. Rosion was promoted once again for his efforts and awarded a Bellator-class Star Dreadnought, the Warspite, as a replacement for the Emperor's Fist which had been lost at the Battle of Bilbringi. Following Ardin's return from the Unknown Regions and apparent assassination onboard the Super Star Destroyer Cleansing, of which he was personally present for and nearly killed himself, Rosion withdrew from the political arena all-together. He became disillusioned with an Empire that didn't look the same to him anymore, and with the death of Ardin no longer believed that it could reclaim it's former glory. These fears were found to be misplaced however when after a quickly executed coup against Regent Kyle Marion the Empire would rise to it's greatest heights ever when Director Damascus proclaimed himself Emperor and launched a bold shipbuilding program in preparation for an all out galactic offensive. Tip of the Spear Knowing well of Rosion's merits as a well-versed fleet commander Damascus gave command of the relatively new Executor class Super Star Destroyer Principality to Rosion and promoted him to the rank of High Admiral. The 6th Expeditionary Fleet was given the honor of leading the opening attack in Damascus' War of Conquest as it came to be known, and launched a full assault on the vital New Republic stronghold at Brentaal IV. The engagement was a disaster for the New Republic forces and reinforcements that arrived there, and led to their complete retreat in what served as the prelude to a series of Imperial invasions that poured across the Hydian Way, recaptured Coruscant and most of the Core Worlds, and forced the assembled New Republic fleets to retreat deep into Corellian space. It was at the pivotal Battle of Corellia that Rosion demonstrated perhaps the epitome of his skills as a naval commander to date. During the course of that historic battle, in which the Principality operated alongside the Cleansing in leading the second wing of a massive Imperial armada arrayed against the combined New Republic and Corellian Commonwealth fleets, that Rosion conveyed a sense of courage under fire that almost everyone in the Imperial Navy has since heard tale and stories about. The Principality under his command led the charge of the 6th Fleet which turned the flank of the New Republic fleet centered around the captured Super Star Destroyer Just Cause, while simultaneously holding off counter-attacks from several Corellian battlegroups commanded by Admiral Santin West. Even when Centerpoint Station fired it's repulsor superweapon and destroyed hundreds upon hundreds of Imperial ships that opened a gap in the lines Rosion ordered his ships to press their attack, forcing the New Republic and the Corellians to fall back and regroup. It was only after the arrival of the forces of GAIT and the shocking destruction of the Third Death Star that Rosion was given pause, and in the resulting actions afterwards managed to save the Principality from destruction by executing a series of radical maneuvers that allowed it to link up with the rest of the Imperial fleet. The Principality was left all but crippled in the aftermath of the battle with casualties amounting to over half her crew, but was still nevertheless salvageable, and Rosion was commended. Post Corellia The Battle of Corellia is easily argued by most scholars to have been one of the most important naval engagements in recent galactic history, if not one of the most traumatic. With the death of Emperor Damascus in addition to that of the seemingly resurgent James Ardin the Empire was left stunned and rudderless. Even with the encouraging victories that had nearly brought the New Republic to it's knees, Rosion knew all too well that a new leader had to assume power before the bickering that had constantly plagued Imperial politics began again. Which was why he was all too ready to support Grand Admiral Thrawn's unilateral seizure of the Regency as Ardin's successor. Unlike Ardin, Rosion was actually familiar with Thrawn, as the blue-skinned alien had a very similar career to his own, and the two had actually worked together in the planning of the Battle of Derra IV. Thrawn recognized Rosion's devotion to service for the Empire and elevated him to the height of power within Imperial High Command alongside High Admiral Banner Ton. It proved to be a very shrewd move on Thrawn's part as it left many other power brokers in the Empire either satisfied or at bay with the new political arrangement, and helped to avert a potential succession crisis as Thrawn prepared the Empire for a new threat: GAIT and the Xen'Chi. With the Principality in drydock under repair, and most of his fleet recovering, Thrawn ordered Rosion to take a back seat to the Xen'Chi incursions and run the day-to-day strategic operations of Imperial High Command. As the Xen'Chi escalated the pace and scale of their attacks against Imperial forces and holdings, Rosion rose to the challenge of coordinating the war effort in concert with Thrawn. Even after the apparent loss of High Admiral Ton and the Cleansing at the Battle of Ord Mantell, Rosion was able to orchestrate one of the earliest Imperial victories against the Xen'Chi when he accurately predicted a major attack on the fortress world of Yaga Minor. As the conflict progressed Rosion became increasingly involved with running operations, and all but completely withdrew from political machinations to the point that he was notably absent at the climactic Battle of Chil'a'Chin. By the time the War of Darkness began in earnest that same year Rosion had formally relinquished command of the Principality to Thrawn, and appointed a new commander for the 6th Expeditionary Fleet. Over the last year or more these activities by Rosion have raised a number of eyebrows among spectators and supporters alike. It has given rise to a plethora of rumors and scuttlebutt questioning the motives behind his seclusion from day-to-day involvement outside of private meetings with Thrawn and select members of the old ISS establishment during Rosion's tenure as director. There are some who believe he is unhappy with Thrawn's continued policy of detente with the New Republic, others who feel it is the inevitable personal rivalry that was bound to rise between Rosion and Thrawn over who is better suited to lead the Empire, and others more who even go so far as to indulge the notion that Rosion's undeclared visits to Bastion are part of an elaborate scheme with the dissident "Fifth Column" Moff faction within the Empire to launch a coup d'etat. Whatever the case may end up being, Rosion still commands a great deal of respect, and his actions should always be followed closely with great vigilance. Personality & Traits Fiercely devoted in his personal belief that the Galactic Empire brings order and stability to a galaxy that stands on the edge of lawlessness, Kolot Rosion was raised to be as cunning as he is compassionate in his principles. Unlike so many others during the early days of the New Order he has never held any humanocentric animosities towards aliens, a by-product of his upbringing. Nor does he believe in employing oppressive policies like the "rule by fear" notions of the Tarkin Doctrine, which he has asserted are ineffective, and which he was an outspoken critic against after the destruction of Alderaan. Rosion has never engaged in some of the more brutish practices and massacres that many Rebels and non-Imperials stereotypically portray the Empire as doing. He feels that such behavior has nothing to do with accomplishing the objectives of a mission, and only alienates and undermines Imperial rule, and that officers who carry it out are unbecoming of themselves. With that said, Rosion still remains a patriot, utilitarian, and moral realist at heart. If a thousand innocents were to perish over the course of an operation in order to safeguard the lives of ten thousand more, then he wouldn't hesitate to carry such action out. He takes his duty to protect the Empire's interests and its citizens to the best of his ability quite solemnly. Nevertheless, over the course of his career there have been several times where Rosion has grown disillusioned with the Empire, which he has seen nearly collapse on several occasions through civil wars and political infighting. Yet his views on Imperial decadence, corruption, and self-indulgence are contrasted with his perception of the New Republic as being even worse, and founded illegitimately on a set of political values that are both hypocritical and idealistic at best. Still, Rosion has always been one of the few Imperial officers to openly respect the New Republic's military proficiency, and from a very early day was known to caution his peers to take the threat of the Rebellion as a force not to be underestimated. Known for his quick wit and dry humor among the few he counts as friends, Rosion constantly works to maintain himself in prime physical condition, and in his early years at the Corulag Naval Academy and in the Imperial Fleet earned five separate titles as a shockboxing champion. He has several ratings as an expert blaster marksman, and puts those skills to good use in his hobby as an amateur game hunter, from which he has kept a number of skull plates from Katarns, Gundarks, and even Krayt Dragons as ornaments. It is also known that amongst other items in his personal collection are a number of rare antique weapon artifacts ranging from a Sith Lanvaroks, Mandalorian armor sets, to ancient Lightsabers that belonged to famous Jedi. When not on duty he has been known to listen to sonatas and symphony orchestras of classical music while inspecting and cleaning his collection. Command Style In his youth Rosion was a brash and outspoken officer who didn't shy away from pressuring his superiors if he felt they were making a mistake. He didn't care to be intimidated by those who tried to follow Darth Vader's model of brutality and summary executions for failure. Utterly focused and determined in carrying out a mission to its best success, Rosion always went out of his way to place emphasis on building a repore and comaraderie with the men and women he commanded, and has never ordered those who have served with him to do something he wouldn't be willing to do himself. Believing that battles can be won or lost based on the amount of coherence and training of a unit he has repeatedly prosecuted the use of strict training regimens and decorum regulations in every command he has held. As an ardent follower in the burden of command Rosion places great value in command responsibility for those subordinate to him, and has never allowed troops under him to be endangered needlessly. His "firm but fair" approach to command allows his senior officers to express their views and opinions freely as partners rather than dismissing creative thinking that isn't his own, and Rosion will often give credit to those who perform above and beyond in their duty. The mutual respect and trust held between Rosion and his men has thus led to units under him possessing a high degree of morale. Rosion is an avowed pragmatist as a military commander, and likes to apply what he calls the "decisiveness of action" to a fleet engagement, preferring to employ tactics of deception, surprise, and concentrated precision firepower at a critical moment to decide the battle. There have been many who have fought Rosion and left completely overwhelmed and out of sync with his movements to be able to respond or counter them. Moreover, Rosion also isn't afraid to know when to take risks or retreat when objectives for a mission or operation can no longer be met, a trait that best exemplified during Rosion's time as Captain of the Stalker when a chance 1-on-1 engagement with a MC-80 cruiser near Dornea led to both ships without power and adrift dangerously close to an asteroid field after protracted fighting. Rather than vainly attempting to destroy the Rebel ship with his own Rosion instead negotiated a ceasefire agreement in which both ships stood down and parted ways. Rosion was chastised for allowing an enemy ship to go as he did, but countered by asserting that the Rebel cruiser would be out of action for months while the Stalker was still in fighting condition. His actions not only demonstrated that he knew how to cut his losses when further fighting served no useful purpose or advantage. Awards & Decorations *Corellian Bloodstripes (Both Ratings) *Ponderweight Division Shockboxing Sash *Holt Cross *Combat Victory Accreditation *Legion of Merit *Meritorious Service Award *Palpatine Cluster *Valor Under Fire Citation *Imperial Medallion of Service *Imperial Badge of Meritorious Service *Imperial Medal of Valor *Nova Star Medal of the Empire Active Threads Imperial Special Services: Back in Business